An Irishman’s perspective on Ireland,
the future, and other things from time-to-time …

Sunday, October 4, 2009

A Triumph of Bureaucracy

"Everything must change so that everything can stay the same."The Leopard

I never quite understood the emotion invested by both the No side and the Yes side in the first and second Lisbon Referendums. The Lisbon Treaty itself struck me as a turgidly dull manual for making modest changes to the operation of the European Union with a view to modest improvements in efficiency. A triumph of bureaucracy necessary in a Union comprising 27 countries and half a billion people. Nothing to get excited about.

We will forgive the European Union this time for pushing a bunch of reforms through national parliaments without persuading most citizens of the benefits. But never again. Ireland’s referenda have been pretty reflective of the European meme: We’re not saying ‘Yes’ until somebody really tells us what we’re saying ‘Yes’ to, and why.

Where the EU once had a plan with widespread democratic consent (a Single Market and, to a lesser degree, a Single Currency); it now seems mostly to be about bureaucratic change. And the problem with a focus on administrative plumbing is that we end up like Prince Fabrizio in Giuseppe di Lampedusa's magnificent novel The Leopard (and an equally magnificent movie directed by Luchino Visconti). We end up with a Union trying to hold back the tide of the future by modest accomodations with change.

3 comments:

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Hello just found your blog and what can i say the times are bad and this Island of ours is in trouble.

now i started a business here in enfield just before the receccion started online selling to the world and i must say its starting to take hold, thats what our governement needs to do is start off with good trading on the internet.

Now the cost of getting a ecommerce web site is well not cheap but thats all changing even as i write in your blog, im doing web site for 50 euro for the year unlimited web pages free hosting free flash graphics and all the video training in download HD from the web site,the web site is now up and running Ireland's Answer To The Recession http://www.qtelltrader.com/ so im hoping that some one will sit in government and take note Ireland's needs to trade with the world at a fashion never seen before

About Me

I am a business man, author, part-time economist and a director of a market research agency in Ireland (Amárach Research). In writing this blog I draw on my daily experiences of working with clients and insights from new thinking wherever I find it. I want to provide a deeper understanding of trends in contemporary Ireland - and their future direction. Note, I am writing this in a personal capacity and my opinions are not necessarily those of Amárach Research.